Trips with kids under 6 that felt like a “real vacation”
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
I am impressed, op! That's a lot of great vacations already! How many kids do you have and what are their ages? I took my 6 year old and 9 year old to London which was fantastic but, with Covid that changes things. Plus, my 6 year old was the youngest. |
Anonymous
So? They have a good time at the moment. I took my two year old and five year old to Seattle and then we went to Vancouver. I remember listening to Snow White tape over and over while we drove around Vancouver because that is what kept them entertained. Wonderful memories! |
Anonymous
Thank you!! I will definitely save these ideas. We went to Rome over Spring Break 2017 when the kids were 2, 5, and 7. We had a great trip. We have done more stateside / Caribbean than international but hopefully will get more international in sooner than later, with COVID being the hang up lately... We also did Vegas/Zion/Bryce during Spring break 2019 and Bar Harbor / Acadia - Summer 2017 - and loved both of those trips. We spent a month in Sanibel last winter - and if you ever want to stay somewhere longer and work remotely - Sanibel Sea School was great and they have camps, etc. My ILs live in Miami - so we also have had good trips to South FL and the Keys, etc. We have not taken the kids to CA yet, but I would like to take them to San Diego. |
Anonymous
|
The most relaxing was this place in Fort Lauderdale: https://lagomar.com/
Not fancy by any means but it was easy to get there (fly into FLL, not MIA), the place is in a somewhat secluded neighborhood but plenty of conveniences nearby. The pool was great, the beach was great, everything just seemed so low-key. And there's tons to do if you want to explore the area. Get a suite with a kitchen and make a stop at Publix and you are all set! |
Anonymous
I don’t get this either. I travel often with my three children and would absolutely call them vacations. But I’m also not the type to sit around a read on a beach for more than a day - I prefer more activity and energy so maybe that’s why? |
Anonymous
|
I think that with little kids, there are only trips.
The most relaxing vacation I've had with kids was a Caribbean cruise. There was lots to do and I didn't have to worry about what everyone was going to eat or planning an itinerary. We cruised with Royal Caribbean and they have a kids club for older kids and by the hour paid babysitting for little ones under age 3. We didn't even use it much but it was nice to have the option. Second to that was probably Grand Cayman. We rented a condo on 7-mile beach and could walk out to the pool or the beach, where they had lounge chairs already set up. We could also walk down the road to a shopping center or to any of the hotels along the beach to go to a restaurant. No need to lug beach chairs around or get everyone strapped in their car seats to go grab dinner. There were lots of outdoor dining options with lots of space so we didn't have to worry so much about the kids being wiggly kids. |
Anonymous
| Any where we bring our nanny. The kids and nanny get up and eat breakfast, then play, then DH and I get up and eat, then we do a morning activity (sans nanny) and have lunch, then an afternoon activity (sans nanny) then the kids and nanny have dinner while DH and I get ready and then we kiss them goodnight and go off to dinner and something fun. |
Anonymous
| I travelled with my kids a ton when they were little (dozens of countries and lots of US). The places that seemed most like a "vacation" as opposed to a "trip" were Club Med and Rydin' Hy. |
Anonymous
Really, with little kids? Are you the dad? Picking out where to eat, what to do, where everyone can use the restroom everywhere we go, packing day bags, cleaning, getting through naps and nighttime in a new space, and all the child care stuff is not relaxing. Also, you cant' actually sit around and read on the beach with little kids. You have to watch them. I took really adventurous vacations pre-kids. Now, I'm so exhausted from getting out of hotel/rental with the kids on our "vacation." Our last couple of "vacations" were filled with fun moments interspersed with me crying and having anxiety attacks in the bathroom. My husband and children had a wonderful time though. |
Anonymous
|
When my kids were young the only true vacations we took were all inclusive places with kids clubs.
Club Med Ixtapa, Beaches T&C, Disney Cruise, a couple places around Cancun. They're teens now and we go on more sightseeing trips now but they still prefer an all inclusive resort on a beach. |
Anonymous
Tyler Place. And yes, it's truly wonderful. Like summer camp for the kids AND the grownups. Hard to get a spot though, so call early, be flexible, and get on the waiting lists. |
Anonymous
Yes, with little kids, and no I’m the mom! |
Anonymous
Not PP, but I'm a mom and have found vacations with kids enjoyable, provided your expectations are low. We've enjoyed renting houses with the expectation that we'd do one small outing a day. Are they the same vacations we did pre-kids? No. But yes, we've relaxed. And I"m not sure why it only counts if the kids will remember it later.... |
Anonymous
I work, so it's also a vacation for me to be off work? Idk if other people don't think it's different if they SAHM? |
Anonymous
But see I look at sightseeing as a vacation. |